Comfort

ONE

Pond let out a heavy sigh while looking at the beautiful night view in front of him from over the wide glass that covered half of his lavish bedroom. He smiled when he looked at the colourful fireworks decorating the dark skies. The young master slowly rubbed his tired face with his palms and pressed his forehead against the icy glass wall.

After so many years of being single, he felt so lonely tonight. He missed the warm, tingling sensation of skin to skin contact with someone he called a lover. He yearned for someone to comfort him ; someone to talk to every night and to listen to all the worries that he carried inside his heavy heart. But he knew that he couldn't afford that. Pond couldn't offer his lover the most important thing they needed to be together, and that was time. Time was needed just for a cuddle and a silly conversation with his lover. Pond was always busy; his time was more precious than the money that he earned.

"Young master, I'm going home early tonight; is there something that you need before I leave?" Watchirawit, his personal butler, asked while standing in front of Pond's bedroom door.

"You can go home, pa. I know that you can't wait to see your son." Pond chuckled and walked straight to his personal butler, giving him a very tight hug.

Watchirawit groaned while stroking Pond's head. He really didn't like his young master calling him that, but Pond was so stubborn, he started to call him 'Pa' when he was 4 years old. He was so glad that Pond's parents didn't mind that their son called his own butler "pa'.

"I really think that you shouldn't be hugging me right now; you need a lover that you can cuddle all night long, young master. Forget the past and start a new one." The old butler chuckled while trying to squirm away from Pond's tight embrace.

"I'm happy with just you, pa." Pond smiled and rubbed the old butler's back. He loved him more than his own busy father. The old butler had been in his life since he was still a toddler.

"I'm getting old; this old man can't be with you forever, you know. I want to see you happy before I die. Let me go; I can't breathe!" Watchirawit whimpered when Pond suddenly squished his small body into a very tight hug.

"You're not going to leave me, old man." Pond slowly released the old butler from his arms when he heard him pleading for air.

"You should sleep; by the way, I really think that you should agree with your mom's suggestion in finding you a suitable bride. You are now 29 years old. You've been lonely for too long, young master." Wathcirawit wiggled his eyebrow at Pond.

"You want to get another bone-crushing hug from me again, pa?" Pond said while opening both of his arms, smirking at the horrified face the old butler made at him.

"No, I'm going home; see you tomorrow." The old butler shook his head and quickly walked away from his young master bedroom.

---

It was almost midnight when Pond dragged his tired body to his apartment door. Being the only son in his family, he always did his best to help his father manage their family hotel business. They struggled so much five years ago, losing almost all of their assets, but with Pond's hard work, they bounced back from the terrible state and stood up again better than before.

The young master succeeded in making his father happy, but there was a price to pay: he lost the love of his life, his lover. He couldn't give him his full attention and care. He left him without words after being together for five years. Pond still remembers his warm kiss on his face that night, giving him a subtle hint that the kisses were their last before he left and never came back again in Pond's life. He said that he was always lonely without Pond by his side.